If you are the parent of a pre-schooler, you most likely know all about “Dora the Explorer.” Dora is a little girls who has a monkey friend named Boots. They go on adventures together, whether it is to find a bird’s home or to make a cake for Dora’s Mami. “Dora the Explorer” is a wonderful way for children to learn deductive reasoning and to pick up on some simple Spanish words.
There are always three things that Dora and Boots need to remember in order to complete their task of the day. They ask the audience (your child) for help with remembering these things. They are always shown at the bottom of the screen and are reviewed before making the decision about where to go next. If Dora needs to find out how to get somewhere, she calls for Map. This is usually at the beginning of the show. Map sings a cute song about how he is the one to call if there is a place you need to find. Once Map is finished showing Dora and the audience where to go, he tucks himself into Backpack. Backpack is another character that is always with Dora. Backpack carries essential items that Dora and Boots need on their adventures. When called, Backpack will spill out several items and then ask your child which one Dora needs. After Backpack is finished, he says, “Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, delicioso!”
This brings me to my next point about “Dora the Explorer.” Dora speaks English and Spanish. Nine times out of ten, if Dora is talking about something, she will tell the Spanish word also. I can not begin to tell you how much Spanish my nephew has learned just from watching Dora.
Along with other charactersm including Swiper the Fox who is always trying to steal things (“Swiper, no swiping!” “Aww, man!”), Dora and Boots work together to solve problems and complete their tasks. My daughter loves to watch “Dora,” but especially loves to copy Swiper and shout, “Aww, man!”
For more information about “Dora the Explorer,” please visit NickJr.com.
“Dora the Explorer” can be seen on Nick Jr. (Nickelodeon) and NOGGIN. Check your local listings for times.
Jaime’s Score: 9 for Education, 8 for Entertainment, and the Parent Annoyance Factor is 0.